Slideshow

Choral Celebration

On Monday, April 25, 2011 Erica Washburn,
Director of Choral Activities, conducted the NEC Chamber Singers and NEC Concert Choir in a choral
celebration in honor of Lorna Cooke deVaron's 90th Birthday. The program will
included a celebratory commission by an NEC composer.

"Cookie" as she was affectionately called, founded the NEC Chorus and was its director from 1947 to 1988.

Much of the program was suggested by Lorna and featured pieces that she performed during her years at NEC, including two parts of Irving Fine's The Hour Glass, a song cycle dedicated to Lorna and the NEC Chorus. Erica Washburn chose to include Corigliano's Fern Hillbecause the Dylan Thomas poem it is based on is espcially appropriate for the occasion. Also on the program is the world premiere of Let's Touch The Sky, a celebratory commission by Felicia Sandlerof the NEC Theory faculty, that is based on a poem by E.E. Cummings "if up's the word, and the world grows greener".

The complete program:

NEC Chamber Singers:Mozart: Regina Coeli, kv 108 (edited by Lorna Cooke deVaron)Irving Fine: Have You Seen The White Lily Grow and O Do NOt Wanton With Those Eyes (Nos. 2 & 3 of “The Hour Glass”)